Haotian Temple
| Haotian Temple | |
|---|---|
浩天宮 | |
 Exterior of the temple | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Taoism |
| Deity | Mazu |
| Location | |
| Location | Wuqi, Taichung |
| Country | Taiwan |
| Geographic coordinates | 24°14′45″N 120°32′24″E / 24.2458°N 120.5399°E |
| Architecture | |
| Completed | 1856 |
| Direction of façade | West |
Dazhuang Haotian Temple (HTG) (Chinese: 大庄浩天宮; pinyin: Dàzhuāng Hàotiān Gōng) is a temple located in Dazhuang, Wuqi District, Taichung, Taiwan. The temple is dedicated to the sea goddess Mazu.
History
Haotian Temple was founded in 1738 by Hakka settlers in Chencuozhuang, a village north of the current site, where it was known as Mazu Temple (媽祖厝). In 1856, the temple was moved south to Dazhuang and renamed to Haotian Temple. A front hall was added in 1895, and the entire temple was renovated in 1936. In 1949, the military briefly occupied the temple and damaged the Qianliyan and Shunfeng'er statues. Between 1962 and 1977, a series of construction projects expanded the temple into its current form today.[1][2]
On 2 March 2010, the Taichung County Government designated Haotian Temple as a historic building.[3] Then, on 14 December 2014, a groundbreaking ceremony was held to renovate the temple;[4] as of June 2020, the process is still ongoing.[5]
Worship
Haotian Temple is in possession of seven Mazu statues. Out of these, the statue known as "Third Mazu" (三媽) is the original statue of the temple during its founding. It is currently located in the nearby Deshun Temple and is only brought back on special occasions.[2] Every other year, "Third Mazu" is carried by worshippers on a pilgrimage to Chaotian Temple in Beigang, Yunlin entirely on foot. On the years without a pilgrimage, Haotian Temple holds a parade where Mazu tours the fifty-three villages in its territory.[6]
Aside from being known as the "Dazhuang Mazu" (大庄媽), the Mazu worshipped in Haotian Temple is also nicknamed the "Water Diving Mazu" (潛水媽). According to legend, during a pilgrimage to Chaotian Temple in Beigang, ferrymen on the Zhuoshui River greedily raised their price. While members of the procession scrambled to get the money, Mazu appeared and lowered the river's water, allowing the procession to cross on foot, which led to the nickname.[7]
In popular culture
Haotian Temple was used as a filming location for the television series Lee's Family Reunion and the 2012 movie Din Tao: Leader of the Parade. Super Night Club, a variety show on SET Taiwan, has also visited the temple in an episode.[8]
References
- ^ "4-2: 清水鎮、梧棲鎮、沙鹿鎮、龍井鄉". 臺中縣志(續修)住民志 (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Taichung County Government. 2010. p. 409. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
{{cite book}}:|website=ignored (help) - ^ a b 李建緯; 張志相; 林郁瑜. "面海的女神 ──臺中濱海媽祖廟文物資源調查與研究" (PDF). 庶民文化研究. 12. Feng Chia University: 47–143. ISSN 2078-9548. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 August 2020. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
- ^ "大庄浩天宮". National Cultural Heritage Database Management System (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Bureau of Cultural Heritage. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
- ^ 趙麗妍 (15 December 2014). "梧棲浩天宮擴建鏟好運" (in Chinese (Taiwan)). China Times. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
- ^ "靜態祈福不遶境 百年媽祖廟展風華" (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Yahoo!. 信傳媒. 13 June 2020. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
- ^ 陳金龍 (18 March 2017). "大庄浩天宮媽祖遶境 陣頭盛大熱鬧" (in Chinese (Taiwan)). China Daily News. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
- ^ 歐素美 (8 August 2016). "梧棲浩天宮潛水媽 8/22登玉山" (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Liberty Times. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
- ^ 陳金龍 (23 April 2016). "林瑞陽.徐乃麟.庹宗康扶轎" (in Chinese (Taiwan)). China Daily News. Retrieved 25 November 2020.